nature
World Wide Fund for Nature in the Philippines to Create Blockchain-Powered Fish Traceability App
The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Philippines has teamed up with UnionBank, a digital wallet, to create a blockchain-powered app dubbed Tracey to offer financial support to local fishers, as well as propel traceability and transparency in the fish supply chain.
Researchers of Japan’s Blockchain-Based Digital Court Face Backlash Due to its Decentralized and Unregulated Nature
Researchers in Japan have been looking into a blockchain-based mechanism to settle legal disputes in a “digital court,” aiming to perform legal actions with a more cost-efficient legal process.
Signature Bank Suffers $4.27 Billion Crypto Deposit Outflows
Signature bank has suffered its major outflows with around $4.27 billion triggered by the recent crypto market downturn.
Yearn.finance Appeals to Arbitrage Traders for $1.4 Million in Recovery Funds After Multisig Error
Yearn.finance seeks the return of $1.4 million from traders after a multisignature scripting error drained its treasury.
Ethereum Founder Vitalik Buterin Proposes Tweaks to Improve Decentralization and Reduce Consensus Overhead
Vitalik Buterin, the founder of Ethereum, has proposed changes to the network's staking model aimed at improving decentralization and reducing the consensus layer's computational burden. The proposal includes the introduction of a two-tiered staking system involving node operators and delegators. Buterin suggests that these changes could significantly reduce the number of signatures required for consensus, thereby making it easier for more people to participate in the network's validation process.
Harvard's Breakthrough in Quantum Computing: A Leap Towards Error-Correction and Noise Reduction
Harvard researchers have developed a processor using logical qubits for error-correction and noise reduction, a groundbreaking advancement in quantum computing that could potentially revolutionize the field.
Signature Bank Under Investigation by US Government Bodies
Signature Bank is reportedly under investigation by both the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Department of Justice over concerns that the bank did not take adequate measures to detect potential money laundering by its clients. The bank was closed on March 12 as part of a series of bank closures that also included Silvergate Capital and Silicon Valley Bank.
Federal Regulators Testify on Bank Failures
Representatives from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and Federal Reserve will testify before the United States House Financial Services Commission in a hearing investigating the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank. Lawmakers are seeking to understand why and how these banks failed. The hearing is expected to take place on March 29, and both the FDIC chair and the Fed Vice Chair for Supervision will appear before Congress.
More Than $40,000 in Bitcoin Donations Towards Tonga, after Catastrophic Volcanic Eruption
The Bitcoin community is taking part in a noble cause of helping Tonga recover from a disastrous volcanic eruption that hit the nation on January 15, with more than $40,000 already donated.
Extraterrestrial Evidence: A 15-Year Scientific Wager
Astrobiologist Schulze-Makuch and planetary scientist Ian Crawford predict technological extraterrestrial life within 15 years, highlighting rapid space exploration advancements and cosmic significance.
Unchained Capital Raises $60M in Bitcoin Funding
Financial services provider Unchained Capital has raised $60 million in a Series B funding round led by Valor Equity Partners. The company uses multi-signature technology to provide a more secure way to hold Bitcoin, allowing clients to share control of their funds between private keys they hold themselves and those held by Unchained or other financial services companies. The funding will be used to expand Unchained's reach and suite of services.
Australian Bankers Association cost of living probe shows bank pressure
The Australian Bankers Association (ABA) has launched a cost of living review to determine how the COVID-19 epidemic, global supply chain restrictions, geopolitical tensions, and other factors have raised Australia's already high cost of living. The research will examine Australia's economic policies and ways to cut living costs.
Indian Supreme Court Rejects Crypto Petition: Legislative Nature Emphasized
The Indian Supreme Court's decision not to accept a PIL for cryptocurrency regulation underscores the legislative nature of such regulations and the ongoing regulatory uncertainty in the crypto sector.
Signature Bank Team Joins Customers Bank, Part of $21B Customers Bancorp
Customers Bank, a subsidiary of Customers Bancorp (NYSE:CUBI), has announced the successful onboarding of nearly 30 team members formerly employed by Signature Bank, once known for its crypto-friendly stance.
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin Proposes Signature Reduction
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin proposes reducing the number of signatures for validators in the PoS system to simplify the system, address technical issues, and enhance network security.
US Bank Failures Shock Regulators
The New York Department of Financial Services and the US Federal Reserve Board have published their internal reviews on the handling of Signature Bank and Silicon Valley Bank's failures. The string of bank failures, including Silvergate Bank's voluntary liquidation, has prompted regulators to re-evaluate their supervision.
Okcoin Halts U.S. Dollar Deposits After Signature Bank Shutdown
Okcoin has paused its U.S. dollar wire and ACH deposits due to the regulatory intervention in Signature Bank, Okcoin’s primary partner for customer transactions in dollars. The suspension extends to over-the-counter services, credit card transactions, and trading USD-crypto trading pairs. However, all corporate and customer funds are safe, and USD withdrawal is not affected. The processing pace will be subject to bank operation. All crypto deposit and withdrawal functions remain intact, including those of U.S. dollar-pegged stablecoins.
Signature Bank Launches New Digital Payments Technology Platform—Signet
In a press release disclosed with Blockchain.news, New York-based Signature Bank announces that it is planning to launch Signet, its digital payments platform, on the Fireblocks network.
Nature: Why AI Meeting Quantum Computing Is a Scientific Revolution
According to Nature, the integration of AI and quantum computing, particularly in quantum machine learning, is an emerging field that offers potential for groundbreaking advancements but faces significant challenges and skepticism.
Crypto Firms Report Funds Tied Up with Shuttered Signature Bank
Crypto firms including Coinbase, Paxos, and Celsius have reported funds tied up with Signature Bank, which was shut down by New York regulators due to concerns about systemic risk. While some firms expect to recover their funds in full, others have disclosed only that they had exposure to the bank. Other firms in the crypto industry have reassured customers that they had no exposure to Signature Bank.
Overnight collapse of two traditional banks triggers chaos
The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank caused major chaos, resulting in stablecoins depegging from the U.S. dollar. The federal government has taken action to protect depositors, and President Joe Biden has vowed to hold those responsible accountable.
FDIC Requires Potential Buyers of Failed U.S. Banks to Give Up Crypto Services
The FDIC has asked banks interested in acquiring failed U.S. lenders, Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, to submit bids by March 17. The authority will only accept bids from banks with an existing bank charter, prioritizing traditional lenders over private equity firms. The FDIC has also required any buyer of Signature to agree to give up all cryptocurrency business at the bank. This news comes amid concerns expressed by U.S. Representative Tom Emmer that the federal government is “weaponizing” issues around the banking industry to go after crypto.
Bitcoin's Market Cap Surpasses Meta's Despite Turbulent Week for Crypto
Bitcoin's market cap has surpassed that of tech giant Meta, despite a turbulent week for the crypto market following the downfall of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank. Bitcoin's market cap has risen 9.7% in the past 24 hours, sitting at $471.86 billion and ranking it 11th among top assets by market cap.
Signature Bank Collapse Blamed on Poor Management
The FDIC's assessment of Signature Bank identified poor management and inadequate risk management practices as the reason for its collapse. The bank was shut down by regulators on March 12, and the FDIC was appointed to handle the insurance process.
Blockchain Association Seeks Information on De-banking of Crypto Companies
The Blockchain Association has filed Freedom of Information Law requests to the Federal Housing Finance Agency and the New York Department of Financial Services, seeking more information on the de-banking of crypto companies after the closure of Signature Bank and the failure of Silvergate Bank.
Australia Zoo Rolls Out NFT Project to Pay Tribute to Wildlife Warriors’ Conservation Efforts
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Wildlife Warriors’ role in protecting injured, threatened, or endangered wildlife, Australia Zoo has launched an NFT project to raise funds and awareness to protect Australia’s wild places and wildlife.
Binance converts remaining $1 billion in Industry Recovery Initiative to native crypto amidst concerns around stablecoins
Binance co-founder and CEO, Changpeng Zhao, announced on March 13 that the exchange will be converting the remaining $1 billion funds in its Industry Recovery Initiative to native crypto amid concerns surrounding stablecoins. This decision was made following the depegging of the USD Coin (USDC) stablecoin caused by the failure of three major crypto-friendly banks - Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), Silvergate Bank, and Signature Bank.
IRS Announces New Tax Payment Guidance on Cryptocurrencies
The controversial nature of the acceptance of cryptocurrencies is now more tilted to the positive end where world government now deem it fit to establish guidelines to tax cryptocurrency holders.
Women in Blockchain: Sam Shrager of BCB Group
The Women in Blockchain Series describes the journeys of some of the pioneer women driving initiatives and changing the nature of work by leveraging this revolutionary technology.
Mobius Capital Partners CEO Says Trying to Predict Bitcoin Price is "Loser's Game"
CEO of Mobius Capital Partners, Mark Mobius has become the latest Bitcoin critic to slam the unpredictable nature of BTC, comparing investment in cryptocurrency to gambling.
Paxos—Regulated and Rising above Trustless Tether and Lost Libra
In this second part of our interview with Cascarilla, he explains why the PAX stablecoin is ultimately superior to Tether and gives his thoughts on Facebook’s Libra project and the nature of money.
Bitcoin Safe Haven Status Under Fire Following US Federal Reserve Rate Cuts to Combat Coronavirus Disruption
The reaction of the bitcoin market to the first rate cut from the Federal Reserve since December 2008, during the global financial crisis, is being carefully observed by the crypto community and may eventually reveal the cryptocurrency’s true nature.
Walls Street's GameStop Battle With Reddit Page r/wallstreetbet Highlights Need for Decentralized Bitcoin
As the duel between institutional Wall Street short-sellers and members of Reddit group r/WSB rages on, many are noticing the censorship-free nature of Bitcoin and crypto.
Exclusive: Gerard Dache, on the Two Contradictions of Facebook Libra
In part 2 of the interview, Gerard walked us through some of the recommended bills to the government in fostering blockchain innovation, such as the “Blockchain Promotion Act”. He then shared his views on the nature of Bitcoin and two contradictions of Facebook’s Libra.
Ubisoft to Launch Blockchain-Based Collectibles to Support UNICEF
Ubisoft, the French-based video gaming company has launched blockchain-based collectibles in a bid to raise funds for UNICEF. Cryptocurrencies are taking the lead in fundraisers particularly due to their anonymous nature.
ECB Plans to Lead CBDC Exploration to Unleash Global Power of the Euro
Fabio Panetta, a member of the Executive Board of the ECB, stated in his address to the European Parliament that the ECB intends to remain at the forefront of discussions concerning the nature of money in a digital world, including the exploration of the desirability and feasibility of establishing a central bank digital currency (CBDC).
Europol Places Bitcoin Mixer Wasabi Wallet on its Radar for Promoting Dark Web Transactions
The general regulatory difficulty experienced by Bitcoin and altcoins lie in the skepticism of regulatory agencies due to their cryptographic nature. Transactions are generally obscured as privacy is the watchword. This creates a source of concern as the likelihood of the currencies being used in dark web transactions is high. Monitoring agencies have been able to fight this partly by ensuring companies or firms that will be involved with digital currencies adhere to some compliance clause.